Ribbon spool



July 20, 1965 c. J. KUCKHOFF ETAL RIBBON SPOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1, 1965 NOE Om H INVENTOR. BIEDIN GER HENR. J.

C-ARL J. KUCKHO FF ATTORNEY July 20, 1965 c. J. KUCKHOFF ETAL 3,195,828

RIBBON SPOOL Filed July 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,195,828 REBIBUN SPOOL Carl J. Kirchhoff and Henry J. Biedinger, Syracuse, N.Y., assignors to The Syracuse Stamping Company, Inc, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of New York Fiied July 1, 1963, Ser. No. 291,849 Claims. (Cl. 242-74.1)

This invention relates to plastic spools for ribbons such as typewriter ink ribbons, and more particularly to an integral spool having a releasable grip for the ribbon end.

In typewriter ribbon spools, various means have been proposed to hold the ribbon end upon the drum, such as a barb adapted to pierce the ribbon, hooks for engaging an eyelet in the ribbon end, and posts over which a loop end of the ribbon is secured. All require a degree of dexterity on the part of the operator in manipulating the ribbon end so as to aflix the same to the spool. In addition, the attachment means is often formed from a portion of the drum such as to result in a drum of irregular contour rather than a drum of cylindrical contour, or a portion of a flange including its rim, may be eliminated to provide access to a pin or post adapted to receive a loop in the ribbon end. The gradual shift from metal spools to plastic spools has increased the problem due to the prevalent use of plastics of relatively rigid characteristics, which when formed with books, or projections, result in structures that are frail and easily broken. It will be appreciated that the attachment of the ribbon to the reel must necessarily be positive, since for example in a typewriter, the ribbon reverse would fail, should detachment occur.

The present invention is directed to an integral reel moldable of a relatively pliable plastic such as polypropylene which is not readily attacked by the inking material used. The invention is particularly directed to providing a segment of the drum that is hinged to the drum or a side flange by a thin membrane-like section of the plastic capable of acting as a hinge. The segment of the drum is adapted to be locked in place as a part of the drum, or to be hinged therefrom, to permit the insertion of a ribbon end into the drum interior, whereby, the segment when locked in place as a part of the drum, grips a portion of the ribbon end between the drum segment, and remainder of the drum to securely hold the ribbon in place. The grip thus provided extends across the entire width of the ribbon, so that the ribbon lies flat on the drum, and the segment and drum when in gripping relation provide a cylindrical drum surface without any substantial peripheral interruption.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIGURE 1 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a ribbon spool;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view, similar to FIGURE 2, with the hub segment locked in place;

ice

FIGURE 4 is a further enlarged sectional view taken on the broken line 4 t of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a further enlarged sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged elevational fragmentary View of a modified form of spool;

FIGURE 7 is a further enlarged fragmentary eleva-' tional view of one flange of the modified form of spool;

FIGURE 8 is a further enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 6, and

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 8, with the hinged drum segment in open position.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 5 of the drawings there is shown a plastic reel formed in one piece of polypropylene having a hub 20, with a spindle aperture 22, and side flanges 24 and 26. The side flange 24 is provided with a rectangular radial window 28 extending from the hub periphery, and the hub is provided with a key sectioned recess or slot 30 extending axially inwardly from the side face 23 of the flange 24, to a depth as indicated at 27, substantially coplanar with the inside surface 25 of the flange 26. The enlarged radially inward portion of the slot is of somewhat keystone shape, and bounded by radial walls 32 and 34, and arcuate walls 36 and 38 to form opposing arcuate tongue-like projections 49 and 42, having spaced end faces 44 and 46 lying in parallel planes which may be spaced apart, a distance not greater than the width of the window 28.

The end faces 44 and 46 have elongated beads formed thereon as at 48 and 50.

The flange 26 is provided with a radial rectangular window 52. Molded integral with the reel is a hinged locked bar or hub segment 54, of a width and radial length preferably not greater than the window 52. The lock bar is joined to the inside edge of the inner end of the window by a thin integral section of plastic 69, that is sutficiently thin to be flexible and acts as a hinge. The side edges 79 and 72 of the lock bar 54 have grooves 74 and 76 of a depth to receive the beads 48 and 50, when the bar is swung to the position shown in FIGURES 3 and 5.

The window 28 is of suiiicient radial length to permit the swinging of the lock bar 54 to the position shown in FIGURE 3. When it is desired to secure an inked ribbon to the spool hub, the end 64 of the inked ribbon 63 is circumferentially disposed over the hub aperture 47 and the tongues it) and 42, as indicated in FIGURE 4. Thereupon the lock bar 54 is swung from the radial position shown in FIGURE 2 to a parallel to the axis position as shown in FIGURE 3 and FIGURE 5, which draws a loop 68 of the ribbon adjacent the end 64 into the recess 3%. Portions of the ribbon as at 89 and 82 are then held resiliently between the faces 43 and 5t) and the sides 76 and 72 of the lock bar 54. When the bar is seated so that its outside face 55 is flush with the periphery of the hub, the grooves '74 and 76 nest over the beads 48 and dd and lock the bar in position and clamp the ribbon end.

If it is desired to remove the ribbon from the spool and release its end 64, the end 57 of the lock bar may be pressed radially outwardly to cause the same to be returned and hinged back to its radial position, which releases the r-ibbon end.

While the end 57 of the lock bar 54 is shown as extending somewhat beyond the outside face 23 of the flange 24, so as to be conveniently manipulated, it will be understood that should clearance conditions require, the bar may be shorter so that its end lies flush with the outer surface 23 of the flange 24; 'In that case the projection of the end of a pencil point into the cavity or recess 30, radially inwardly of the lock bar 54, may be used to effectively pry the same free for hinged movement to a radial position to release the ribbon end.

An abutment 80, adapted to engage the heel 82 of the segment 54 may act as a stop, when the segment is swung to the position shown in FIGURE 3.

' In the form of-the invention shown in FIGURES 6 to 9, the spool comprises a hub or drum 120, having a central spindle aperture 122, and side flanges 124 and 126 integral therewith. The hub is providedwith a generally arcuate circumferential recess as at 180into which the end 164 of an inked ribbon 166 may be projected;

The recess may be of an axial length commensurate with the spacing between the inside surfaces 125 and 127 of the flanges 124 and 126 and may be formed by a punch, extending through one of the side flanges 124, to a depth lying in the plane of the inside face 127 of flange 126 as indicated at 123. Integral with one outer edge 132 of'the drum is hingedly attached an arcuate hub or drum segment or door-like element 134, which may readily be swung from what may be termed a radial or open position as in FIGURE 9, to a circumferential closed position as in FIGURES 6 to 8. The door segment has an outer arcuate surface 136 of the same radius as the drum, a radial end surface 138 adapted to abut a radial surface 140 of the recess 180, the inner end of such end surface 138 having a tongue 142 adapted to lock under and into the undercut region 144 of the recess 180. The other end of the door-like element 134 is provided with a radial offset edge 146, adapted to interfit withan offset'radial wall 148 of the recess 130. When the end 164 of a ribbon 166 is placed in the recess 180, as in FIGURE'9, the'door is then hinged to the closed position as in FIGURE 8 and the projection 147 of the offset end 146 is snapped or sprung over the projection 149, of the offset 148, and the ribbon end is thereby clamped therebetween.

When'it is desired to release the ribbon a pointed object or the like may be inserted through the side aperture into the recess 180 and the door or segment pried open,

or a sufficient radial pull on theribbon 166 may effect the release.

In order to provide the integral hinge effect, the, integral plastic connecting portion between the outer edge 132 of the hub proper and. door segment 134, is given a somewhat extended length by' molding a recess or relief as at 172.

In practice the segment 134 will have an axial length slightly less than the spacing between the inside faces 125 and 127 of the flanges 124 and 126 as seen in FIGURE 6. The segment will preferably be molded in the position shown in FIGURE 9, and an opening having a radial portion and a circumferential portion 192 in the side flange 124 may be provided for the entry of mold projections to form the segment end face 191, and therecess 180.

An aperture corresponding to the radial portion7190 in flange 124, may be formed in flange 126 to provide for a mold projection to form the other end 195 of the segment 134, suchan aperture being indicated at 194.

In both forms of the invention the connecting membranes or thin sectioned plastic forming the hinge connections 60 and 170 respectively will be of a thickness in the order of .01 to .015 of an inch and of alength somewhat longer than the thickness, whereby the limp flexibility of the connecting plastic permits the movement of the segments 54, or 134 between their respective ribbon release, and ribbon lock positions, without any apparent resilient opposition thereto. p 7

While polypropylene has been referred to as a suitable material, due to its resistance to attack of ink, its plasticity is such as to provide a practically indestructible spool, and by connecting the segments by an integralthin section to thespool flange or drum in the manner de-.

, 4 p scribed, an indestructible hinge is provided, the strength .of which apparently improves with flexure.

It can be seen that spools embodying either modification arefreadily molded ina single operation, and provide a positive locking arrangement for securing the end of a ribbon that eliminates the necessity for any specially formed ribbon end. Further the ribbon end is secured evenly across its entire width of the spool drum, instead of being stretched and torn as on a barb. In addition the spool drum presents a relatively smooth drum surface free from any irregularities, as caused by barbs and the like, and the structure is such that the flanges may have continuous rims, so that there is no danger of the ribbon being caught in a slot in flange rim, a structure which has in some circumstances been resorted to, in order to permit the loop end of a ribbon to be positioned over a post,

disposed within the spool hub'.

While two modifications of the invention have been illustrated, and described, it isto be understood that the invention isnot limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1., An inked ribbon spool comprising a one piece spool molded of non-rigid plastic comprising a cylindrical drum,

and integral spaced flanges, said drum having a recess extending radially thereinto from the peripheral surface thereof and. of an axial width substantially that of the spacing between flanges, a segment complemental to the peripheral portion of said recessmolded integral with the spool, said segment having a flexible thin section hinge forming membrane connecting the segment with the spool along one edge of the segment, and means for releasably locking the segment in said recess in clamping relation to the end of a ribbon to be held thereby.

' 2. An inked ribbon spool comprising a one piece spool molded of non-rigid plastic having a cylindrical drum, said drum having a rectangular recess extending radially thereinto from the peripheral surface thereof and of a .width substantially that of the axial length of the. drum, 2. segment complemental to the peripheral portion of said recess molded integral with the spool, saidrsegment having 3. An inked ribbon spool comprising a one piece spool molded of non-rigid plastic, said spool having a cylindrical drum for receiving the convolution of ribbon to be wound thereon, said drum having a substantially rectangular recess therein extending radially thereinto from the peripheral surface thereof, and a segment complemental to the peripheral portion of said recess molded integral with the spool and having a thin flexible membrane hinge connecting onefedge thereof integrally to a side wall of said recess.

4. An inked ribbon spool comprising a one piece spool molded of non-rigid plastic, said spool having a cylindrical drum for receivingtheconvolution of ribbon to be wound thereon, said drum having a substantially rectangular recess therein extending radially thereinto from the periph eral surface thereof, and a segment complemental to the peripheral portion of said recess molded integral with the spool and having a thin'flexible membrane hinge connecting one edge thereof integrally to a side wall of said molded of non-rigid plastic, said spool having a cylindrical drum for receiving the convolution of ribbon to be wound thereon, said drum having a substantially rectangular recess therein extending radially thereinto from the peripheral surfaces thereof, and a segment complemental to the peripheral portion of said recess molded integral with the spool and having a thin flexible membrane hinge connecting one edge thereof integrally to a side wall of said recess, said recess and said segment having releasable locking means extending along another edge of the segment and another side wall of the recess, disposed parallel with the axis of the drum, and adapted to clamp the end of a ribbon projected therebetween.

6 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 117,630 8/71 Hillard 24274.1 331,956 12/85 Ford. 793,672 7/05 Lyter 24274.l 1,141,441 6/ 15 Campbell 242-74.1 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,075,991 4/54 France.

871,419 6/ 61 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 

3. AN INKED RIBBON SPOOL COMPRISING A ONE PIECE SPOOL MOLDED OF NON-RIGID PLASTIC, SAID SPOOL HAVING A CYLINDRICAL DRUM FOR RECEIVING THE CONVOLUTION OF RIBBON TO BE WOUND THEREON, SAID DRUM HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR RECESS THEREIN EXTENDING RADIALLY THEREINTO FROM THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE THEREOF, AND A SEGMENT COMPLEMENTAL TO THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID RECESS MOLDED INTEGRAL WITH THE SPOOL AND HAVING A THIN FLEXIBLE MEMBRANE HINGE CONNECTING ONE EDGE THEREOF INTEGRALLY TO A SIDE WALL OF SAID RECESS. 